UNESCO recently convened a High Panel on Science and Technology for Development. How can the best brains and the smartest ideas in emerging technologies be focused on the urgent needs of the developing world? Are there quick victories we can win? How do we scale their R and D capacities? Can we develop win-win strategies for researchers, corporations, and governments?

  

Panelists will include:

  

Moderator: 

Nigel M. de S. Cameron, President and CEO of C-PET, also serves as Chair of the Social and Human Sciences Committee of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO, and is a member of the U.S. delegation to the 36th General Conference of UNESCO

  

Sara E. Farley, COO of the Global Knowledge Initiative, is an internationally recognized science, technology, and innovation strategist. After co-authoring the World Bank's new Science and Technology Strategy for Development with Chief Scientist, Robert Watson in 2001, she helped the institution design and launch its first Africa-based science and technology project. More recently, the World Bank relied on Sara as a science and technology strategist in operations across Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. In 2007 and 2008, Sara worked with UNIDO to establish its first-ever policy position on innovation. Sara has also worked with SRI International, UNCTAD, the Rockefeller Foundation, and other organizations to develop science, technology, and innovation strategy and policy and guide aid delivery and operations.

  

Charles Rodes currently serves on both the Health and Monitoring and Evaluation working groups for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, as well as the Exposure Monitoring working group for the new NIH Indoor Air Pollution initiative for cleaner cookstoves.  Dr. Rodes also leads the Biomass Cookstove Grand Challenge Initiative at RTI which applies integrated solutions to reduce mortality and morbidity from smoke exposures.  This program has already produced an innovative cookstove add-on that utilizes waste heat to produce electric power utilizing thermoelectrics to power a fan to dramatically reduce toxic and black carbon emission levels

 

Respondent: 

Nagy Hanna, Adviser and former Head of Corporate Strategy, World Bank; Senior Fellow, C-PET.

International development strategist with extensive experience in advising countries and aid agencies on designing and implementing programs to promote innovation and leverage information and communication technology in support of competitiveness, national development, and public sector reform. Currently advising countries on developing their policies, leadership and governance models for ICT-enabled development. Also providing consultative education and advisory services to multinational companies in the ICT industry and services to strategize and innovate their business models and services for emerging markets.